Judge Orders Biden Administration To Resume Policy Of Expelling Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors At The Border

A Texas judge ruled on Friday that the Biden administration can no longer exempt unaccompanied immigrant children from a Trump-era policy, meaning many minors will be turned back if they make it to the southern U.S. border.

Under Title 42, the U.S. can immediately expel immigrants who arrive at the border as a way to “contain” the coronavirus. This means immigrants would not be able to apply for asylum or meet with an immigration judge. The policy began under former president Donald Trump’s administration, and the Biden administration continued with the plan but made an exception for unaccompanied immigrant minors.

Judge Mark Pittman, however, has ordered the government to lift the exemption. In his order, he argues that unaccompanied minors “still spend, on average, more than a day clustered at a DHS facility, where they can expose other detainees, personnel, and American citizens and residents to whatever viruses they are carrying.”

Pittman also argued that the government had put Texas in a position to deal with any financial consequences, saying the order’s exemption has led to the fact that “Texas has experienced, and will continue to experience, significant financial loss.”